Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

Author: Mike Ripley

First Published: 2017

Pages: 465

Something a bit different for this latest blog. Whilst browsing through Amazon UK I came across this book and instantly knew I would have to get it.

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang was written by Mike Ripley, author of the award-winning 'Angel' comedy thrillers. Between 1989 and 2008 he was crime fiction critic for the Daily Telegraph newspaper and then the Birmingham Post, reviewing over 950 crime novels. He was also a scriptwriter on the BBC's television series "Lovejoy". Mike is the series editor of the Ostara Crime and Top Notch Thrillers imprints, which is reviving novels that will be of interest to thriller, spy and high adventure fans around the world. He is also responsible for the "Getting Away With Murder" column on www.shotsmag.co.uk. Most recently, Mike completed the Albert Campion novel left unfinished on the death of Pip Carter (husband of British golden age crime author Margery Allingham) "Mr Campion's Farewell" and he has continued the Campion series with a further six original novels.

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang is a fantastic study of the boom in British thrillers between the 1960s and the end of the 1970s. Between these times British born authors ruled the thriller fiction scene across the world. Ripley examines the background to this phenomena, providing an interesting, fun and informative journey from its roots with such authors as Hammond Inness, Eric Ambler and Ian Fleming.


Ripley cleverly winds the story around the current affairs that were prominent in the UK during the period in question; showing the links between everything from the political climate (the end of the Second World War, the end of the British Empire, Cambridge spy rings, austerity, high profile defections and counter defections) to the film scene (the inevitable launch of James Bond 007 into film history, The Ipcress File, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold etc.) that either directly or indirectly effected thrillers and thrillers writers.

There is an interesting chapter on the effect of 1962. He explains how the year 1962 was enormously pivotal in the nurturing of thrillers and spy fiction. The launch of Dr No in film; the publication of The Spy Who Loved Me (not so 'loved' by critics!); notable new novels by Innes, Clifford, MacLean (times two), Canning, Ambler; the Cuban missile crisis; John Glenn orbiting the earth and various coups across Africa.

One of the most satisfying sections in the book is how Ripley describes the progression of thrillers into the sub-genres of Thriller, Spy Fiction and Spy Fantasy (e.g. MacLean, Deighton and Fleming), and how these genres waxed and waned during the two decades in question, becoming the current wave of Crime novels that we know today.

The book is copiously littered with cover pictures of hardbacks and paperbacks from the period. See example to the right.

But for me, the greatest sections of the book are the Appendices. Part One covers the Leading Players of the Thriller market, MacLean, Innes, Bagley et al. These are good introductions and backgrounds to the leading lights of 60s and 70s thriller writing and if you have not heard of any of the authors listed here then you are going to be surprised (to be honest there were a couple that were new to me).

Part Two is even better in my humble opinion. A glorious section showcasing some of the Supporting Cast of authors from the thriller/spy fiction market. This is pure gold. There are names here that I had never heard of before. There are names that I have come across through related 'if you liked this author you will like' links on popular shopping websites. There are some that I have heard of through Facebook Groups. But the list is quite extensive (these are all UK only I remind you) and has introduced me to names I'd never have come across otherwise.

Here are just a few;

Patrick Alexander
Evelyn Anthony
Robert Barr
Gavin Black
John Burke
Brian Callison
Jon Cleary
Adam Diment (facinating)
Alfred Flett
Douglas Orgill
Ritchie Perry
Antony Trew

...and many more.

This book will become quite a bible for me and I can see myself referring to it for many years to come. Highly, highly recommended, especially if you are wanting to get into the lesser known thriller material. Not all of them will be available in eBook format, but we can only hope!

This is available in eBook format. On amazon UK it is priced at £5.49.